Roland Serial Numbers

The serial numbers on equipment manufactured by the Roland Corporation tell you the month and year the device rolled off the production line, and how many of that model had been produced. The scheme results in a six digit number that breaks down as follows. The first two digits are the month of manufacture, where month 01 was September 1972. The remaining four digits indicate how many of that model had been produced. So someone somewhere may have a TR-77 (Roland's first model) with either serial number 010001 or 000001 depending on whether Roland started counting production months from one or zero. In November 1980, the two digit production month number wrapped around to zero, and then ran up until 1989. Roland then introduced a new format for their serial numbers.

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1972

1973

1974

1975

1976

1977

1978

1979

1980

Jan

-

06

18

30

42

54

66

78

90

Feb

-

07

19

31

43

55

67

79

91

Mar

-

08

20

32

44

56

68

80

92

Apr

-

09

21

33

45

57

69

81

93

May

-

10

22

34

46

58

70

82

94

Jun

-

11

23

35

47

59

71

83

95

Jul

-

12

24

36

48

60

72

84

96

Aug

01

13

25

37

49

61

73

85

97

Sep

02

14

26

38

50

62

74

86

98

Oct

03

15

27

39

51

63

75

87

99

Nov

04

16

28

40

52

64

76

88

00

Dec

05

17

29

41

53

65

77

89

01

Based on this serial number format my older Roland equipment is dated:

Roland JP-4, serial number 135510, 5510th one made and manufactured in December 1981.

Boss DR-55, serial number 093700, 3700th one made and manufactured in August 1981.